The Ländler
by FelicianaV
Summary: When Elizabeta first came to work for Kapitän Edelstein as a governess for his seven children, she thought it wouldn't be more than just a job then a hopefully quick return to the abbey. One dance may change everything. The Sound of Music fused with Hetalia.


**This is just something I thought up while watching The Sound of Music the other day and could not get out of my head until I wrote it down. I hope you enjoy it!**

**Hungary (Elizabeta ****Héderváry**) - Maria Kutschera (later von Trapp)

**Austria (Roderich Edelstein) - Kapitän (Captain) Georg von Trapp**

**Fem!Prussia (Julchen Beilschmidt) - Baroness Elsa Schroeder**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia. It belongs to Hidekaz Himaruya. I also do not own The Sound of Music, which is owned by the Rogers and Hammerstein Organization.  
**

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The night is a velvet curtain dotted with stars, the square courtyard filled with the sound of music drifting from the ballroom through its open doors. Lights from the ballroom reflect off of the courtyard's cream and coffee marble floor. A group of seven brothers and sisters are watching the dancing pairs in the ballroom at the edge of the courtyard, fascinated.

"The women look so beautiful," Brigitta comments wistfully, staring into the orchestrated mass of dancers.

"I think they're ugly," Kurt interjects and gives his younger sister a mean look.

Louisa, his fair-haired, older sister, adds in, smirking, "You just say that because you're scared of them." Kurt faces her.

"Silly, only grown-up men are afraid of women," he counters.

The youngest, Gretl, pipes up, "I think the men look beautiful." Louisa laughs.

"How would you know?" Gretl just smiles and switches her attention back to the ballroom dancers.

Liesl, the eldest of the seven, makes her way to the center of the courtyard. On a whim, she curtsies to an imaginary partner and begins to dance, her mahogany mane swaying with her movements.

"Liesl? Who are you dancing with?" Brigitta inquires.

The reply comes almost instantly. "Nobody." Brigitta beams.

"Oh yes you are," she announces. Friedrich, Liesl's younger brother by two years, taps her on the shoulder. Liesl ceases her dancing and does an about-face. He bows to her.

"May I have this dance?" he asks politely.

"I'd be delighted, young man." Liesl curtsies to her now visible partner and they begin to step in time to the music. They draw the attention of all of their siblings away from the ballroom. Suddenly, their governess, Elizabeta, comes out of the hedge maze which lines three sides of the courtyard.

Surprised to find Friedrich and Liesl dancing together, she canvasses, "Why didn't you children tell me you could dance?" The pair end their fun.

Kurt speaks for the group. "We feared you'd make us all dance together. The Edelstein Family Dancers!" He spins on the spot, arms out, then poses with a hand on his hip, gaining hearty laughs from his siblings.

Everyone circulates toward the ballroom as the music changes.

Marta, second youngest to Gretl, questions, "What's that they're playing?"

Elizabeta answers promptly, "It's the Ländler. It's an Austrian folk dance."

"Show me," Kurt requests. Elizabeta is slightly put off.

"Oh, Kurt, I haven't done that since I was a little girl."

"Oh you remember. Please?"

"Well..."

"Please?" he persists.

"Oh alright. Come on over here." She guides him to the center of the courtyard. "Now you bow, and I curtsy." They both do so.

"Like this?" he checks with her.

"Fine! Now we go for a little walk. This way." Elizabeta takes his hand and walks him toward the ballroom, counting off the steps. "One, two, three...one, two, three...one, two, three...step together!" She turns them 180 degrees, now taking both of his hands. "Now step, hop! Step, hop! Now turn under." They both grunt with the effort since their height difference makes it difficult. "Not quite..." Elizabeta continues undeterred. "Now this way!" She rotates them again toward the ballroom. "Hop, step! Hop, step! And under." Another grunt from both of them, though Elizabeta is giggling now too. "Oh, Kurt, we'll have to practice..."

Kurt's father, Kapitän Roderich Edelstein, steps out into the courtyard, having been watching the dance lesson for some time. He pats his son on the head with a smile. "Do allow me, will you?" Kurt releases Elizabeta's hands immediately and she turns toward the two, amazed to see the Kapitän. He offers his hand to her with a soft smile and she takes it gladly.

Roderich guides her through the steps smoothly, escorting her across the courtyard in time to the music. He then takes both of her hands and, facing her, skip hops with her back toward the ballroom, having no difficulty turning under when they reach the other side. Roderich elevates his arm, still gently holding Elizabeta's hand, and she pirouettes under both of their raised arms as he walks them the opposite way again.

Their movements are perfectly in time; their execution flawless. Elizabeta's pale skirt flows around her knees and her milk chocolate locks seem to float around her head with each spin. Her cheeks begin to flush pink but she can barely feel the warmth through the barrage of emotions crashing down on her: elation, freedom, excitement, love... No, not love, she chides herself. He's Baroness Beilschmidt's... Her cheeks redden more at her thoughts and she loses herself in the dance again.

Roderich takes both of her hands in his and "pulls" her back toward the ballroom, swinging them in a wide half-circle. They face each other again, arms crossed over their partner's, stepping lightly away from each other then back. He twirls her once then continues as they were. Next, Roderich repeats the movement, though this time bringing their hands and arms straight up into the crisp, night air and moving them out to their sides, at the same time stepping around the other half of the imaginary circle they started. He spins her another time with one hand after bringing their wrists down to her hips. Finally, he swings their connected hands in a high arc, releasing her into a graceful pirouette.

Elizabeta revolves around him while holding up her skirt a few inches and skip hopping. He claps in time to certain beats, smiling warmly at her. She makes one revolution before it's his turn. Now she stops and poses with both hands on one hip while he circles her, clapping still. They both rotate toward the ballroom, her standing behind him, and start to walk forward. As she reaches a hand out to hover over his shoulder he takes it gently, drawing her ahead of him by it and twirling her. They touch their other hands together, clasp these instead, and bring the originals up and out to the side.

Roderich pulls Elizabeta close to him for the next part of the dance. They each place a hand on their partner's waist and clasp their free hands above their heads. Staring into each other's eyes, they turn around each other, their steps mirrored. Dark violet eyes peer into fern green ones laced with honey. They look like two swans courting in the moonlight on an unusually colored pond. Roderich next turns her, lowering their arms to waist level, then raises them again before continuing as before, just in the opposite direction.

Elizabeta stops suddenly though the music goes on, and they both drop their arms. She cannot draw her eyes away from his, and as she steps backward away from him he looks back at her, confused and a little hurt.

Elizabeta says breathlessly, "I don't remember any more..." Roderich remains silent.

"Your face is all red," Brigitta tells her. Elizabeta's hands come up to cup her cheeks. She keeps staring at the Kapitän, her expression unreadable.

"Is it? I don't suppose I'm used to dancing." Roderich smiles at her, hoping to ease her. The song slows then fades and ends in the background.

Julchen Beilschmidt comes out of the ballroom to stand beside Roderich. The lights from the behind her shine off of her silvery-white hair. Her red eyes are hard around the edges. She comments, "Why, that was beautifully done. What a lovely couple you make." Her voice is sugary sweet with an underlying bitter tone. Roderich feels more than slightly awkward and fiddles with his gloves.

"Yes, I think it's time the children said goodnight." Elizabeta finally lowers her hands.

"Yes! We'll be in the hall in a moment. We have something very special prepared." She claps her hands once when she says this, smiling to hide her embarrassment. "Right?" The children all excitedly call out their agreements and follow Elizabeta back into the hedge maze then into the main house, leaving Roderich and Julchen alone. He leads her back into the ballroom with an arm looped through hers.

"All that needless worrying, Roddy. You thought you wouldn't find a friend at the party." Roderich avoids her eyes at first and looks behind them into the courtyard, calling to mind Elizabeta's grace and beauty as they had danced. He never wanted to forget it. He gradually turns his amethyst eyes back to Julchen's own ruby ones.

"Chilly out tonight, isn't it?" He removes his gloves as they step into the lights and warmth of the ballroom. Julchen looks thoughtful.

"Oh, I don't know...seemed rather warm to me."

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**Please review! I appreciate constructive criticism, especially since this is the first story I've ever posted online.**

**Also, if you haven't ever seen The Sound of Music, I suggest watching it. Despite the historical inaccuracies (including this version of the Ländler, which is just a specially choreographed version of the real one), it's still a really good movie with amazing songs.**


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